Russia-Israel Intergovernmental Commission To Discuss Economic Cooperation On Tuesday

The Russia-Israel Intergovernmental Commission is set to hold its annual meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday to discuss trade ties and economic cooperation despite the recent cooling in bilateral relations after the incident involving Russia's Il-20 aircraft.

TEL AVIV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th October, 2018) The Russia-Israel Intergovernmental Commission is set to hold its annual meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday to discuss trade ties and economic cooperation despite the recent cooling in bilateral relations after the incident involving Russia's Il-20 aircraft.

The commission will be co-chaired by Israeli Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ze'ev Elkin and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimov.

"The meeting of the commission, especially these days, is of great importance and reflects the two countries' aspiration to maintain and promote bilateral relations," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Akimov's spokeswoman told Sputnik that the sides were planning to discuss cooperation in such areas as innovations, agriculture, medicine and energy, among others.

According to the Israeli side, the agenda will also include such issues as retirement benefits for migrants from Russia, the implementation of environmentally friendly methods in agriculture and cooperation in health care sector.

A source close to the meeting's organizers told Sputnik that the sides were not planning to sign any documents during the meeting except for the protocol.

The source added that a round of talks on the establishment of a free trade zone between Israel and the Eurasian Economic Union, comprising Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, will be held as well.

"Trade between our countries has significantly increased and reached around $2 billion in 2017 � up 30 percent compared to 2016. The Israeli imports into Russia rose by 22 percent over the same period to $342 million. This data shows the importance that both sides attach to the economic aspects of bilateral relations," head of Economic Diplomacy Division at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yael Ravia-Zadok said.

Il-20 was downed near Syria on September 17. Moscow blamed the crash on the Israeli Air Force, saying that the Israeli jets used Il-20 as a shield against the Syrian air defense systems when carrying out an air raid in the area. Israel has refuted the accusations and insists that Moscow was warned about the air operation in a timely manner. Following the incident, Moscow announced that it would supply S-300 systems to Syria to ensure safety of Russian servicemen in the country.